Counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama

The first jobs report fully under the new Trump administration showed a softening job market, with the unemployment rate ticking up to 4.1% in February, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released March 7.

Job growth increased but fell below expectations, one of several possible fissures appearing in the once rock-solid labor market. Businesses are pulling back on hiring as the economic forecast and policy outlook grow murkier due to volatile trade policies and large cuts to the federal workforce.

Federal government employment fell by 10,000 in February, pushing up total cuts to the federal workforce. In the first two months of 2025, 62,530 federal workers were let go. However, the most recent cuts, including the Department of Education’s workforce getting slashed by nearly half, have not yet appeared in official jobs data. Retail employment also fell by 6,000.

The broader unemployment index, known as the U-6, which also includes laborers working part-time because they can’t find full-time work, and those who want to work but have given up searching, rose to 8%, its highest since October 2021.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Alabama, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in January 2025, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.

Key takeaways: Jobs report shows softening labor market

February’s job growth of 151,000 fell below economists’ expected gains of 160,000, showing the labor market is cooling faster than predicted. Experts say many companies weighing policy changes and economic uncertainty are deciding it’s safer to hold off on hiring decisions for now.

“If you were a company and you were saying, ‘I’m looking to expand, or I’m looking to hire,’ you would have investors in those companies saying, ‘Are you crazy?'” Ron Hetrick, senior labor economist at Lightcast, told Marketplace.

Consumer spending fell in January for the first time in two years, which may have led to layoffs or hiring slowdowns, Nela Richardson, ADP’s chief economist, told NBC News.

The big story: From bold promises to frozen labor market

After an initial market pop following Trump’s electoral win, indexes have slumped to below when he took office, and uncertainty about the future of the markets is a common theme. Are threatened tariffs in place, delayed, reversed, or ramped up? Has that federal worker been fired or given their job back? Are those federal dollars slashed or reinstated? It’s a question mark that changes daily.

Research shows that uncertainty invites lower investment, slows employment, and increases financial market volatility. The word “uncertain” showed up 47 times in the March edition of the Beige Book, the Federal Reserve’s snapshot of reports from across the nation, compared to 17 times in the previous report from January.

The new administration’s blitz of executive orders and trade policy waffling have cast a dense fog over the short-term economic outlook. One thing that is known? Uncertainty isn’t good for business planning, job creation, or hiring.

In a March 12 interview with Semafor, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon noted that average consumers likely don’t change “what they’re going to do because they read about tariffs,” but “companies might.”

“Uncertainty is not a good thing,” Dimon added.

To get a better idea of your community’s current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Alabama.

49. Cherokee County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 10,334 people (331 unemployed)

49. Chilton County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
— 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 20,092 people (638 unemployed)

47. Cleburne County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,571 people (217 unemployed)

47. Fayette County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
— 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: -0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,593 people (217 unemployed)

43. Jefferson County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 320,625 people (10,917 unemployed)

43. Geneva County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 11,563 people (393 unemployed)

43. Coffee County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 23,678 people (806 unemployed)

43. Walker County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
— 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 27,130 people (915 unemployed)

41. Bibb County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,734 people (305 unemployed)

41. Houston County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
— 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 48,429 people (1,697 unemployed)

39. Clay County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,978 people (217 unemployed)

39. Lauderdale County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 43,767 people (1,581 unemployed)

33. Montgomery County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 104,594 people (3,865 unemployed)

33. Etowah County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 42,120 people (1,570 unemployed)

33. Pike County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,593 people (582 unemployed)

33. Calhoun County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 49,880 people (1,837 unemployed)

33. Crenshaw County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,430 people (202 unemployed)

33. Covington County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 15,039 people (561 unemployed)

28. Winston County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 9,798 people (374 unemployed)

28. Henry County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: 0.0 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,990 people (301 unemployed)

28. Randolph County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,625 people (331 unemployed)

28. Marion County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 12,168 people (464 unemployed)

28. Lamar County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
— 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,485 people (206 unemployed)

23. Tallapoosa County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 16,240 people (634 unemployed)

23. Colbert County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: 0.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 26,211 people (1,018 unemployed)

23. Dale County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: +0.7 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 19,031 people (748 unemployed)

23. Talladega County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 34,851 people (1,343 unemployed)

23. Coosa County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
— 1-month change: -0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,335 people (170 unemployed)

21. Jackson County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 20,967 people (831 unemployed)

21. Washington County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4%
— 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,460 people (301 unemployed)

19. Bullock County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: +1.3 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,196 people (170 unemployed)

19. Russell County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
— 1-month change: +0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 22,907 people (950 unemployed)

18. Mobile County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: -0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 187,778 people (7,880 unemployed)

15. Butler County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,022 people (344 unemployed)

15. Escambia County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: +0.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 13,101 people (563 unemployed)

15. Barbour County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
— 1-month change: -0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: -0.9 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,666 people (372 unemployed)

13. Macon County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,719 people (344 unemployed)

13. Pickens County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
— 1-month change: +0.8 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,921 people (309 unemployed)

12. Marengo County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
— 1-month change: +0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.8 percentage points
– Total labor force: 7,414 people (344 unemployed)

11. Hale County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
— 1-month change: +0.9 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.6 percentage points
– Total labor force: 5,625 people (264 unemployed)

10. Sumter County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
— 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,410 people (213 unemployed)

9. Conecuh County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
— 1-month change: +0.4 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,950 people (193 unemployed)

8. Lowndes County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5%
— 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: -0.7 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,896 people (195 unemployed)

7. Choctaw County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
— 1-month change: +0.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 4,245 people (217 unemployed)

6. Monroe County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.8%
— 1-month change: +0.1 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.4 percentage points
– Total labor force: 6,802 people (397 unemployed)

5. Dallas County (tie)

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6%
— 1-month change: -0.2 percentage points
— 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 14,481 people (876 unemployed)

4. Clarke County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.3%
— 1-month change: -0.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: -0.5 percentage points
– Total labor force: 8,423 people (528 unemployed)

3. Perry County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.6%
— 1-month change: +1.3 percentage points
— 1-year change: +0.1 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,386 people (157 unemployed)

2. Wilcox County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.9%
— 1-month change: -1.6 percentage points
— 1-year change: -3.0 percentage points
– Total labor force: 3,559 people (247 unemployed)

1. Greene County

– January unemployment rate (preliminary): 9.1%
— 1-month change: +2.5 percentage points
— 1-year change: +2.2 percentage points
– Total labor force: 2,432 people (221 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Ben Popken, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.